FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION IN CONGRESS 



A RESUME OF LEGISLATIVE ACTION IN REGARD TO CON- 

 SERVATION OF OUR WOODS, WATERS, AND PUBLIC LANDS 

 BY THE FIFTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION. 



January 25, 1904. 



In the Senate : Mr. Bard, from the 

 Committee on Public Lands, to whom 

 was referred the bill (S. 904), granting 

 to the State of California 5 per cent of 

 the net proceeds of the cash sales of 

 public lands in said state, reported it 

 without amendment, and submitted a 

 report thereon. 



The bill (S. 887) for the purchase of 

 a national forest reserve in the Southern 

 Appalachian Mountains, to be known as 

 the National Appalachian Forest Re- 

 serve, was announced as first in order, 

 but on request of Mr. Lodge and Mr. 

 Teller was passed over. 



The same bill was first in order at one 

 time on January 27, but at the request 

 of Mr. Teller (through Mr. Cockrell) 

 was again passed over, without losing 

 its place. 



The bill (S. 1490), to authorize the 

 sale of a part of what is known as the 

 Red Lake Indian Reservation, in the 

 State of Minnesota, was considered as 

 in Committee of the Whole. It author- 

 izes the Secretary of the Interior to sell, 

 subject to the homestead laws of the 

 United States, to the highest bidder, at 

 public auction, in tracts not to exceed 

 1 60 acres to each individual, all that 

 part in the State of Minnesota lying 

 westerly of the range line between 

 ranges 38 and 39 west of the fifth prin- 

 cipal meridian, approximating 256,000 

 acres. It is provided that the land 

 shall not be sold for less than $4 per 

 acre. 



The bill was reported without amend- 

 ment and passed. 



In the House: Mr. Needham, from 

 the Committee on the Public Lands, to 

 which was referred the bill of the House 

 (H. R. 3581) providing the means of 

 acquiring title to two groves of Sequoia 

 gigantca in the State of California, 

 with a view to making national parks 

 thereof, reported the same, with amend- 

 ment, accompanied by a report (No. 



461); which said bill and report were 

 referred to the Committee of the Whole 

 House on the state of the Union. 



January 26. 



In the House: Mr. Heyburn called 

 up from the table and discussed Senate 

 joint resolution No. 30, directing the 

 stay of all proceedings now pending 

 upon any application to enter or patent 

 even-numbered sections of the public 

 lands in lieu of odd-numbered sections 

 surrendered by the railroad company or 

 its assigns within the limits of any for- 

 est reserve. The resolution was finally 

 referred to the Committee on Public 

 Lands. 



Senate bill 490, to authorize the sale 

 of a part of what is known as the Red 

 Lake Indian Reservation, in the State 

 of Minnesota, was referred to the Com- 

 mittee on Indian Affairs. 



A similar bill (H. R. 11130), by Mr. 

 Steenerson, was referred to the Com- 

 mittee on Indian Affairs. 



By Mr. Bede : A bill (H. R. 1136) 

 to provide for the hearing and deter- 

 mination of contests of the claims of 

 states to swamp land under swamp-land 

 grants. To the Committee on Public 

 Lands. 



A resolution of the Salida (Colorado) 

 Board of Trade was laid on the Speak- 

 er's desk, protesting against changes in 

 the present land laws. 



January 27. 



In the Senate : Mr. Bard, from the 

 Committee on Public Lands, to whom 

 was referred the bill (S. 2223) provid- 

 ing a means of acquiring title to two 

 groves of Sequoia gigantea, in the State 

 of California, with a view r to making 

 national parks thereof, reported it with 

 an amendment and submitted a report 

 thereon. 



Mr. Gamble, from the Committee on 

 Public Lands, to whom was referred the 

 bill (S. 579) to regulate the use by the 

 public of reservoir sites located upon the 



(139) 



